DirecTV reached a multiyear distribution agreement with the NHL for Hurricanes Hockey Network, Blue Jackets Hockey Network, Wild+ and Blue Note+ pregame, postgame and in-game live sports services. Each of the four channels will be available to DirecTV streaming and satellite customers who live in each team’s NHL-designated home territory and subscribe to Choice and higher packages, and each U-verse customer in those same regions who subscribes to U200 and above. The agreement also provides distribution rights to each NHL team to all of DirecTV for Business’ sports bars, restaurants, fitness clubs and other commercial venues located within each team’s respective region. DirecTV has recently obtained regional or local rights to provide 76 of the 81 U.S.-based NHL, NBA or MLB franchises to their local fans, including multiyear agreements for 23 U.S.-based hockey teams (NHL).
ENDING THE WAIT: In St. Louis, Matthew DeFranks reported the deal ends a negotiation that “overlapped into the season and left many fans in St. Louis unable to watch the Blues.” The Blues are 10 games into their regular season schedule, and eight of them have been televised on Blue Note+. Of the remaining 74 games, “65 will be carried on Blue Note+.” The deal with DirecTV was the “largest remaining domino for the Blues in securing cable and satellite distributors.” Before the season began, Spectrum agreed to carry Blue Note+, putting the new channel on the largest pay-TV provider in the market. BlueNote+ is available on Fubo and through Prime Video for an additional $20 a month or $100 a year. Fans “farther out in the St. Louis area are still impacted by no deal with Comcast to carry Blue Note+” (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 10/24). In Columbus, Dan Aulbach noted Blue Jackets Hockey Network will carry “all the Blue Jackets regular season games that aren’t airing on national broadcasts, meaning that as of now, 82 of 84 Blue Jackets regular season games are scheduled to be available” (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 10/24).
DO SOMETHING, PLEASE: In Toronto, Steve Simmons wrote the price has “become too high to watch hockey on television” in Canada the way we did just a year or so ago. And when the price “isn’t involved, the decisions of which games to broadcast have been poorly executed.” Someone from the league “needs to step in and do something here.” Make hockey “more accessible or available than it currently is.” Simmons: “Someone from the league needs to sit down with executives from Sportsnet and oversee some of the dubious decisions the network is making” (TORONTO SUN, 10/25).
HOOPS TALK: Danny Cunninghan on X cited sources as saying that the Cavaliers and DAZN “reached an agreement with DirecTV to air games this season,” which began on Saturday night with the team’s home opener against the Nets. The game will be available to DirecTV customers on channel 660. Formal announcement is “expected next week” (X, 10/24).